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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22909060">Now who's in luck</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Recalan12/pseuds/Recalan12'>Recalan12</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Good Doctor (TV 2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Melendaire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:34:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,223</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22909060</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Recalan12/pseuds/Recalan12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A melendaire one shot. Written post 3x16 and based on my thoughts about the Canadian promo for 3x17 and their future.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Claire Browne/Neil Melendez</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Now who's in luck</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi guys! The good doctor is bringing back my melendaire this season and I had so many thoughts about it, so I wrote something. Forgive me for any misspelling and/or mistakes, this is my first fic (plus English is not my first language) and I hope to improve in the next ones. Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a quiet morning, Neil was in the OR with Lim performing an aortic valve repair, none of the residents were on call so it was just the two of them and the nurses.</p><p>"So how is your friendship (is that you called it?) with claire going?", Lim started.</p><p>"Is the chief of surgery asking about my personal life?"</p><p>"No, but your friend is" she said, in a tone that indicated he should just answer the question.</p><p>"It's fine, not affecting my professionalism in any way, promise you that" he stated, dodging the information he knew she wanted.</p><p>"That's not what I'm asking", Neil looked up from the patience, Lim was staring at him, "I can see that you're hurting, you have to be honest to yourself about it".</p><p>He could not pretend that he didn't feel anything for Claire, "The last thing she needs is her friend saying he has feelings for her. Besides, I'm her boss, it could never happen, why would I do that to her and risk losing our friendship?"</p><p>"Because maybe you're not agonizing over this alone... you don't know how she feels".</p><p> </p><p>Neil though about what Lim told him... as far as he knows she only sees him as a friends and a mentor, but every little gesture she makes tells him otherwise. He remembered when she asked him about going on a date with Dash, how she carefully chose her words as to indicate that if he said anything to stop her from going, she wouldn't, but he said nothing. How thoughtful she was with him and how hard she fought for their friendship when he got lost.</p><p> </p><p>The next day, they were on their morning run, when he made a signal for them to stop and rest.</p><p>"Is everything okay?", Claire asked, worried that he might've hurt something.</p><p>"Yeah, just needed to talk to you about a thing", Claire just looked at him waiting for him to continue, but he couldn't find the words to tell her something that risky. <br/>"You are a very slow runner", he said, and started running again.</p><p>Claire laughed, but was left with the feeling that's not what he wanted to say.</p><p>Neil couldn't remember the last time he was so scared of losing someone, he wanted her to be happy, but if they could find a way to be happy together nothing could ever beat that.</p><p> </p><p>A few days passed and Neil started to be a little quieter around Claire, and, as intuitive as she was, she knew something was wrong. </p><p>She went to look for him during lunch and found him on the balcony, lost in his thoughts.</p><p>"Hey", she startle him, "sorry, I just wanted to ask you if you're okay... you've been acting a little weird"</p><p>He didn't know if he was doing that with hope that she would figure it out herself or just because his feelings were too consuming to allow him to be normal around Claire. Anyway, he though it was time for this torture to be over.</p><p>"I need to tell you something Claire, but you might not want to be friends anymore if I do", he started.</p><p>"That's stupid Neil, we're fine, just tell me."</p><p>"I didn't know this until you told me about Dash and then I saw you two together and something in me just woke up", Claire started to realize where this was going and turn serious, "I like you Claire, in a non platonic way, and I don't thing you feel the same way, that's why I didn't wanna tell you, but I had to." </p><p>Claire's eyes started to fill up with tears but she didn't know what to say, he was her friend, the only person who's been there for her these past few months. It would be a lie if she said she didn't like him too, but she buried that so deep into her mind to prevent things from being weird and inappropriate between them, that she couldn't tell how she felt anymore.</p><p>With her lack of response, Neil started to regret saying that, and all he could think about was how he just lost her. "I'm sorry, Claire, please forget I said anything. The last thing I want is to loose our friendship", he turned around to leave her alone, figuring she didn't want him there anymore.</p><p>"No, don't leave." A little flame in his chest started to burn again, "I just need some time, I do like you too, but that doesn't mean things are fine Neil... you're my boss, we shouldn't be involved that way."</p><p>"I know, and if you don't want that, it's okay, but I needed you to know Claire."</p><p>"And if I do?" She asked reluctantly.</p><p>"Then we can make it work, you're worth everything".</p><p>Claire wanted to hug him, kiss him, but she needed to be sure of that as well, before doing something she would regret, or worse, hurt him. </p><p>"I need some time, this isn't a no, I'm just asking for a day to think, that's all", he nodded and left her on the balcony.</p><p> </p><p>Claire was torn. She got home and threw herself in bed. She'd wondered about his feelings for her a few times, she saw the way Neil looked at her when he though she wasn't paying attention, the way he always made plans for their "not a date" dates. Always so kind to her, never pushing and yet she always felt like sharing personal experiences with him. If she was being honest, the reason it didn't work with Dash was because her heart wasn't with him, it was with Neil.</p><p>Claire couldn't sleep, she kept thinking more and more about how much he means to her and what a big part of her life he's become, so naturally, without forcing them into it. If anything was worth risking their careers it was this. </p><p>She'd made up her mind but she couldn't just stay there, without doing anything while he was at home thinking everything might've been over.</p><p>It was 2 a.m. when she drove to his house, knocked on the door for a long time but no one answered.<br/>When she finally gave up and headed back to her car she saw his pull up on the driveway. </p><p>"What are you doing here?", Niel asked her, so wishful and so nervous at the same time.</p><p>"I came to see you", she stopped on the sidewalk next to him.</p><p>"You're in luck, I just came from your house", Claire looked at him confused, "I know I said I'd give you some time but now that you know how I feel I just need to show you how serious I am about this. I decided I'm not giving up on you Claire, whatever the cost is" he got closer to her, and held her hands in his.</p><p>Hearing that, she felt warm and she knew that being with him felt so right, like nothing ever did before.</p><p>"Now who's in luck" Claire said, with a smile on her face, she got closer and kissed him, a passionate kiss, as if their lips were begging for it since they met. </p><p>That kiss felt like home, he felt like home. </p><p>And they knew together they could overcome anything the world threw at them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please feel free to leave constructive criticism and suggestions! Thanks for reading it!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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